Bats!

So a couple nights ago, Brad and I took Chloe out for an evening stroll around the yard and to see the horses. I was admiring the tall trees and the sky when I realized there were bats all around us! Some were flying so low it couldn't have been higher than 10 feet above my head. The last time I remember seeing a bat was as a kid and during a camping trip. But that was probably just one bat. I think we enjoyed 30 minutes of bats flying all around us and it was the coolest thing! I didn't get a single mosquito bite and that's probably because the bats were eating them all :)

Brad and I are SO excited because tomorrow we close on our house!!! I can't believe it's finally here and I don't think (knock on wood) anything will go wrong between now and 2pm tomorrow. The contractor is coming to make the repairs on Monday. We've arranged to have the power, water, and gas turned back on. Who knows, we might get to start moving in by next Friday! We are so happy and so excited!

The picture here is of Alyssa and Declan in his Halloween costume. He's just so cute I had to share. I asked Alyssa to take this picture before Halloween because I wanted to enjoy it all season long.

Watkins Glen Tour Video

Here is a little video we threw together so you can see around the inside of the house.

http://gallery.me.com/lynnfalkner1#100016/Watkins%20Home%20Tour&bgcolor=black

Home Inspection

Hello one and all! This morning we had our home inspection on the Watkins Glen home and it went really well. We used the same inspector that we used from the Wedgewood home and he said this new house is in even better shape and reassured us that the price was from the economy, not from any unseen damages in the house. I am SO happy to know that we can move forward with the house and close! It's finally official.

I spoke with our lender today and she said the latest we could close is October 4th. We're all hoping to close next week. We're just waiting on two forms to come back. I can't wait!!

We had the power and water turned on for our inspection today and it made the house so much more welcoming and beautiful. We were able to test the automatic garage door which made me so excited because I've always wanted an attached garage. No more getting out in the rain or scrapping snow off the car (not that it snows here anyways). We can even get the car washed and not worry about a night rain ruining it. Also, we tested the jacuzzi tub and it was a thing of beauty. Chloe loved it and kept dipping her hands in the jets and running around yelling.

If you're wondering what I'm doing holding a plate of baby octopi, Brad got it at Kroger and wanted me to try some. It was called an Octopus Salad. And, no, I couldn't bring myself to eat it. It was WAY too chewy and eating their whole bodies was just too much for me. I can eat Octopus in pieces but I couldn't do this. :)

House update

A lot has been happening around here the last week or so. I got a job with Maris!! I'm so happy and so grateful to have a job where I can work from home and have a flexible schedule to work around Chloe. We had to postpone the home inspection on our house, again, but hopefully everything will come together on our next scheduled date which is next Friday. Today we met at the house with a private contractor to get an estimate for the required repair jobs. It went well so I'm very grateful we can keep moving forward with the house. We really love this house and hope it's the one.

Tonight Brad and I are helping chaperone a youth dance so I'm especially stoked for this date night. It's a hoedown!

Fun Chloe Clips

Here is a fun video with a couple clips of Chloe getting music lessons from her Aunt Melanie and driving the boat at the Maris Lake Party. Enjoy!

Maris Lake Party!

Today Maris Lighting (the Young family company that Brad works for) had a fun day in the sun. We had a work/family outing on the lake with burgers, hotdogs, a 2-story dock, and a pontoon boat. It was sooooo much fun! Several people fished but no nothing bit. Almost all of us went swimming, including Chloe and I. Chloe really seemed to enjoy herself on the beach with all the sand, clams, and red clay. She really liked getting her hands dirty :) She also kept running into the water and Brad and I kept darting after her because we knew she would trip/slip/or run out of shallow water before submerging herself. Luckily she only dunked herself once and it was for less than a second. She was a little traumatized afterwards but once she spent some snuggle time on the boat, she was wiggling to go back for more. She spent a lot of time on that beach and in the water. All in all, it was an incredible day and the landscape was breathtaking.

New contract, great house!

So we're back in a house contract and really hope this one sticks! It's a 3 bedroom home that's just a hair over 2,000 sq ft. It's got a nice big, fenced in back yard that'll be fun for the kids once we get some grass in there.

I LOVE the master bathroom because it has my dream jetted tub (complete with waterfall spout) with a sky light window directly above. Oh, and the best part is it's open into the bedroom. It has a separating wall but it doesn't reach to the ceiling.

It has a family room, living room, dining room, and a cute spacious loft area. Oh and one fun bonus for me: It has a built in desk next to the kitchen that's perfect for my Mac. That way I can keep my music, recipes, and all my google searches right where I spend most of my time: the kitchen.

Our agent said we could be in the house by the end of the month! Let's hope the inspections go well!!

Sunday

Hello!! Yesterday was a great Sunday and I decided to put bows in Chloe's hair. I think she new she was extra cute because she was incredibly flirtatious with a little 1-year-old boy. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen.

Yard Sales/Antique Shopping

Happy Saturday everyone!

This morning Krista and I had some fun traveling all over hitting some good yard sales. We got some good stuff but really hit the jackpot when we stopped at a "parking lot sale" where a cute antique shop was trying to get rid of mountains of old inventory. I got a brand new, super cute purse for a dollar! I also got Brad a brand new wok for $4. You must be wondering if this was really an antique shop since they were selling brand new stuff with the tags still attached. I'm as confused as you are but inside their shop they had the most amazing collection of Civil War, WWI, and WWII guns, swords, helmets, bullets, cannon balls, and Confederacy currency. We knew Brad and Jared would love it so after we got home and unloaded our spoils, I drove with them back to the shop. It was amazing.

Once we finished drooling over the antique shop collection, mostly over the 1860's rifles, we stopped in at an adorable little German restaurant and bakery called The Village Corner. We were on a mission to get a rhubarb pie. We succeeded but also came out with a black cherry almond pie and a giant cream-filled, chocolate-dipped pastry that Brad got for me. Seeing all their homemade jams, breads, and pies reminded me of the Amish community stores my mom would take me to see in her Iowa hometown. I've decided Stone Mountain Village is the cutest place I've ever seen. I even love the Confederate soldier graveyard which extends right up to the side of the road. I'm hoping we find a home in Stone Mountain, it's my kind of place.

Friends' BBQ in Provo

These are the pictures we all took during our last "hurrah" BBQ before the Whettens moved to Texas and Brad, Chloe, and I moved to Georgia. Kenzie Butler was the one who took these great pictures and I'm so happy because they turned out so good. Thanks Kenzie! We miss all you guys!